Learning about Language教学设计案例

ANDY-THE ANDROIN教学设计

Teaching goals 教学目标

1. Target language 目标语言

a. 重点词汇和短语

simplify logically

technological revolution

solve

from…on

personal

as a result

totally

so…that

network

Web

application

explore

anyhow

human race

b. 重点句子

Over time my memory has developed so much that, like an elephant, I never forget anything I have been told!

And my memory became so large that even I couldn’t believe it! 2. Ability goals 能力目标

Enable students to learn about the development and history of computers.

3. Learning ability goals 学能目标

By finishing the timeline and the chart, help students grasp the basic structure and main idea of the passage.

Teaching important and difficult points 教学重难点

Understand how details are used to support topic sentences.

Teaching methods 教学方法

Prediction, scanning and discussion.

Teaching aids 教具准备

Projector and tape recorder. Teaching procedures & ways 教学过程与方式

Step I Warming-up T: How many of you have computers in your home? Please put up your hands. Ss respond accordingly.

T: What do you usually do on your computers? Ss: Type documents/homework, listen to music, watch videos, play games, search on the Internet, send mails …

T: When I were at your age, I knew nothing about computers. Most Chinese families

never heard about it. However, in recent years, computers have become more and more popular, and most families in cities have one or more than one computer in their home. And some families in villages also have their own computers. Computers make life more convenient and colorful. However, it took a long time for humans to have computers that we see today. Now look at the pictures on page 17 and discuss what they have in common. Then think about Questions 2 & 3. Suggested answers: 1.

These pictures are all technological inventions. 2.

From these pictures, we know computers has experienced a long development process, and the development will never stop. 3.

(There may be various answers.) Step II Pre-reading Prediction Let students predict the content of the passage according to the pictures and the title. This will involve students in active thinking and exploring.

Then let them make a list of the ways computers are used today.

Sample list: date processing industrial design learning and teaching aids TV program editing

entertainment (watch TV/video, listen to music, play games, online chat…) communication (e-mail, e-card, instant message)

…

T: Now look at the inventions in activity 3. First check their meanings in your dictionaries. Then put them in the order according to the time when they appeared.

Help students understand the meanings of the words: analytical, calculate and

universal.

Note: Universal machine is also known as Alan Turing's “universal computing machine”, is

capable of computing any algorithm. Students may have different answers. They will check it after reading the passage.

T: Have you put them in the right order? You will find it after reading the passage. Now turn to page 18 please.

Step III Reading

Skimming Get students read the whole passage and try to get the main idea of it. After reading T: What does “I” in the title refer to? Ss: Computer. T: What is the main idea of the passage? Ss: The passage is mainly about the history and development of computers.

Scanning T: Correct! Now read the passage and finish the timeline. With this timeline, you will have a clear idea of the development of computer.

Check the answers.

T: The passage has three paragraphs. Find out the topic sentence of each paragraph, and the details that are used to support the topic sentences. Then complete the chart in activity 2.

Suggested answers:

Topic sentence Para. 1 Para. 2 Para. 3 changes Since the 1970s became many new have Over time I have These changed quite a lot. only possible as my applications memory improved.

been found for me.

Supporting details 

Caculating machine 

Analytical machine 

Universal machine 

PC 

Laptop



Tubes 

Transistors 

Chips 

Network 

Web 

Communication 

Finance 

Trade 

Robots 

Mobile phones 

Medical operations 

Space rockets T: From this chart, you will know the basic structure of this passage. As you may have found the topic sentences are not standing there alone, they are supported with details and date, which make the topic sentences more convincing. Now I will play the tape of this passage. Listen and find out/underline the difficult words and expressions.

Teacher gives some explanations.

T: What can be “over time” replaced by? Ss: As time goes by. T: How do you understand the word “simplify”? Look! (on the board: simple+-ify). -ify is a suffix which means to turn into, make or become. For example, beautify. So if you know the meaning of “simple”, you can easily get the meaning of “simplify”. Who can tell me its meaning? S: To make something easier or less complicated.

T: What does “it” in line 9 refer to?

Ss: It refers to the fact that computer was programmed by an operator who used cards with holes. T: Why was Alan Turing called computer’s real father?

S: I guess that’s because Alan made computer more powerful, which could solve any difficult mathematical problem.

T: What does “this reality” in line 15 refer to? S: It refers to the reality that computer had grown as large as a room.

T: In paragraph two, there are two sentences which contain the use of “so…that…”

structure. Underline them and study carefully. Show the following on the screen/board: 

Over time my memory has developed so

much that, like an elephant, I never forget anything I have been told! 

And my memory became so large that even I couldn’t believe it!

Help students sum up the form and function of this structure: Form:

so + adj./adv. + that + clause

Function:

This structure is used when emphasizing the degree or amount of something by saying what the result is.

Step IV Discussion Deal with activity 3 on page 19. Let students discuss how computers have changed

our lives?

Sample discussion: S1: I think it’s impossible to live without computers! S2: What makes you say that? My grandparents didn’t use a computer and they were still able to entertain themselves, to operate big machines, to analyze data, to make robots and so on.

S1: You are right. But computers do change the way we live. They change the way we learn by providing distance-learning programs. They change the way we communicate with the use of e-mail and instant messenger. They change the way we obtain information with Internet search engine such as Google and Baidu. They change the way we deal with documents and pictures.

S2: I agree. Can you imagine what our life would be like If we could not use computers any more? S2: We would go back to the world when everyting goes slowly. For example, send mails via train or air plane, which takes several days or even long; go to libraries to search for information, where limited information are provided; spend long time to solve difficult mathematical problems etc. And on the other hand, we may have more time for outdoor activities instead of spending much time on computer.

S1: Yes, computers changed our lives both in a good way and in a bad way. It depends on how we make use of it. I hope we can make good use if it.

T: Do you want to see how cyber friends answer this question? Look at the screen. Show the following on the screen or let students visit the web page:

(One the screen) User 1

Computers have made it easier for us to access a wealth of information and have all but rendered printer encyclopedias obsolete. They have also made it easier and cheaper to advertise our business anywhere we wish and do business with anyone anywhere in the world. On the downside however, computers have also made it easier for sexual predators to find victims, for criminals to steal our hard-earned money, and to even steal our identity, something nearly unheard of just a few decades ago. Also, children are more likely to sit in front of a computer and chat when they could just as easily speak with their friends on a telephone or go outside and play like children used to before the "computer revolution". As with any new technology, there are good and bad points, but in the end the general public through their actions will determine whether or not computers have actually improved our lives.

User 2

Of course!!!!! They have changed the way we shop, play, chat, work and more. User 3

They have made us a lazy generation. User 4

A computer has changed my life certainly even still at a very young age. It's fulfilled my dreams, knowledge and much more. For some it's gained them employment and giving others something to do. It's opened a new world of gaming, chatting and finding advice and information. I COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT ONE!

User 5 Well, they made our lives easier, the made us lazier and they gave us the chance to

have some adventure when we are bored.

User 6

Majority of "addicted" computer users lack "real life" social skills these days. User 7 They hurt my eyes. User 8

Computers change our attitudes, the way we live, the way we express ourselves, the

way we are too others, views on life, views overall, how we dress, what we listen too,

what we think of one another, how we work, interests. Basically everything because

without computers we wouldn’t have the internet and like newspapers radios

magazines and television we get these all on the internet. These change how we are so

basically everything about it. Also we get addicted and learn about things that maybe

we shouldn’t. Also can get into trouble e.g. downloading, piracy all done with a

computer. Good things are that computers have helped reach forward into the future.

Helps with technology, education and will help the future generations. Soon

everything will be run by computers the good thing for us is we don’t have to lift a

finger the bad thing is will computers take over. Step V Homework (retelling) T: Suppose you work for an information technology magazine. Write a short passage which briefly introduces the history and development of computers. Don’t write in the first person.